Frogfishes: Biodiversity, Zoogeography, and Behavioral Ecology

There exists a paucity of evolution-oriented research focusing on why relationships end, particularly in comparison to the substantial literature centered around individual preferences that define the beginning of relationships. In contrast, there is a long tradition in the fields of sociology and family studies of exploring divorce; however, this body of research is largely limited to studies of Western populations. We address these gaps in the literature with an examination of patterns of divorce among a small-scale horticultural population in Nicaragua. We test a number of hypotheses derived from behavioral ecology perspective regarding the timing and causes of divorce. Results lend support to all but one of the hypotheses. Overall divorce rates are comparable to U.S. rates; however, they tend to occur earlier in marriages. Children appear to provide a slight buffering effect against divorce, although age in marriage does not. Gender differences in the reported causes of divorce fall along the lines that would be expected due to differences in partner preferences reported in previous research. Finally, this population also exhibits a similar peculiar pattern exhibited by Western populations, in which divorce is more costly for women, and yet women are slightly more likely to initiate divorces than husbands.

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Drone-Monitoring: Improving the Detectability of Threatened Marine Megafauna

Drones ◽

10.3390/drones5010014 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 14

Author(s):

Jonathas Barreto ◽

Luciano Cajaíba ◽

João Batista Teixeira ◽

Lorena Nascimento ◽

Amanda Giacomo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽

Behavioral Ecology ◽

Brazilian Coast ◽

Large Fish ◽

Monitoring Method ◽

Camera Angle ◽

Aerial Vehicles ◽

Sea Birds ◽

Systematic Pattern ◽

Marine Megafauna

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs; or drones) are an emerging tool to provide a safer, cheaper, and quieter alternative to traditional methods of studying marine megafauna in a natural environment. The UFES Nectology Laboratory team developed a drone-monitoring to assess the impacts on megafauna related to the Fundão dam mining tailings disaster in the Southeast Brazilian coast. We have developed a systematic pattern to optimize the available resources by covering the largest possible area. The fauna observer can monitor the environment from a privileged angle with virtual reality and subsequently analyzes each video captured in 4k, allowing to deepening behavioral ecology knowledge. Applying the drone-monitoring method, we have observed an increasing detectability by adjusting the camera angle, height, orientation, and speed of the UAV; which saved time and resources for monitoring turtles, sea birds, large fish, and especially small cetaceans efficiently and comparably.

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